Queen Elizabeth II – 1969 Queen’s Speech

Below is the text of the speech made by Queen Elizabeth II in the House of Lords on 28 October 1969.

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons:

My Husband and I look forward to our visits to New Zealand and Australia, and to attending the Cook Bicentenary Celebrations in both countries.

With the coming 25th Anniversary year of the United Nations, My Government reaffirm their support for the efforts to ensure peace and to assist the advancement of less developed countries. They will pursue their work through the United Nations for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, and towards an international agreement on tariff preferences for the developing countries.

My Ministers will continue to play an active part in the North Atlantic Alliance as the foundation of our security and thereon to build better understanding between East and West.

My Government will maintain their application to become full Members of the European Communities and desire an early commencement of negotiations. They will take a full part in promoting other measures contributing to European unity.

My Government will strive for further progress on nuclear and nonnuclear arms control and disarmament. They will be particularly concerned with chemical and biological weapons, and will follow up with vigour the proposals they have put forward for a complete ban on biological methods of warfare.

My Ministers will remain ready to assist in any way they can to bring peace to Nigeria and Vietnam.

My Government will continue working for an eventual return to constitutional rule in Rhodesia, in accordance with the principles approved by Parliament. They will steadfastly pursue their policy of economic sanctions and of maintaining isolation of the illegal régime until the conditions for an honourable settlement exist.

My Ministers will continue their efforts to ensure justice and to promote peace and harmony between all communities in Northern Ireland. They will bring forward proposals to facilitate the reorganisation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and to establish a local defence force for security duties in Northern Ireland.

Members of the House of Commons:

Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons:

My Government will press forward their policies for attaining a substantial and continuing balance of payments surplus in order to meet our international obligations and rebuild our reserves, achieve a more rapid rate of economic growth, and safeguard employment. To this end they will continue to develop policies for promoting the efficiency and competitiveness of industry.

My Government will continue to work with other Governments to improve the international monetary system.

A statement will be presented to you of My Government’s future plans for public expenditure.

My Government will continue to foster the fullest use of resources in all regions and will lay before you measures to provide for assistance to industry in intermediate areas.

Legislation will be introduced to secure the safety, health and welfare of persons on offshore drilling installations.

Bills will be brought before you to promote improved industrial relations and to provide for equal pay for men and women. Provision will also be made for certain reforms relating to industrial safety and health.

Legislation will be introduced to rationalise the work of the Monopolies Commission and the National Board for Prices and Incomes, and to combine them in a new body.

Proposals will be submitted to you for controlling the development of labour-only sub-contracting in the construction industry.

Bills will be introduced to amend the Merchant Shipping Acts and to make provision for the safety of fishermen.

Proposals will be brought before you to give effect to certain recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry into Civil Air Transport.

A Bill will be introduced to assist the film industry.

Legislation for the reorganisation of the ports will be presented to you.

Bills will be introduced to reorganise the electricity supply and gas industries and to enable the Gas Council to search for, refine and market petroleum.

Proposals will be brought before you to establish the nuclear fuel business of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority as a separate Government-controlled company.

A Bill will be introduced to continue the Government’s powers under the Coal Industry Act 1967 to help the coal industry.

My Government will continue to encourage the selective expansion of home agriculture. Legislation will be introduced to implement the Government’s proposals on the marketing of eggs; to rationalise the grants payable to assist fixed capital investment in agriculture; to reorganise smallholdings; and to modernise the law relating to sales of fertilisers and feedingstuffs.

A Bill will be introduced requiring local education authorities to prepare plans for reorganising secondary education on comprehensive lines.

A Bill will be brought before you for establishing a more effective system of control over dangerous drugs.

A Bill will be brought before you to introduce new schemes of national superannuation and social insurance and to protect occupational pension rights on change of employment.

Legislation will be introduced arising out of the recommendations of the Seebohm Committee on Local Authority and Allied Personal Social Services; and fresh proposals will be made about the future administration of the National Health Service.

Proposals will be put forward for the reorganisation of local government in England, Scotland and Wales.

Legislation will be introduced to continue in modified form powers to limit increases in house rents.

A Bill will be introduced to modernise the law relating to the construction of highways in Scotland.

Legislation will be brought in to reform certain features of the feudal system of land tenure in Scotland and the Scottish law of heritable conveyancing, and to improve the organisation of the Sheriff Courts in Scotland.

My Government will carry forward their comprehensive programmes of law reform.

A Bill will be laid before you to make better arrangements for the recovery of civil debts and to enable the Courts to avoid causing hardship when making orders for possession of mortgaged property.

Legislation will be introduced to enlarge the powers of the Courts with regard to financial provision for parties to marriages which have broken down.